Zhang Qiyun

Zhang Qiyun

Zhang Qiyun (September 29, 1900 - August 26, 1985), born in Yinxian County, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, is a Chinese geographer and historian,

After graduating from Nanjing Normal University in 1923, Zhang Qiyun worked in Shanghai Commercial Press, Department of geography of National Central University, Department of history and geography of national Zhejiang University, Harvard University, etc. He came to Taiwan in 1949 and served as Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang.

Zhang Qiyun founded the University of Chinese culture and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and wrote national geography, political geography, and the 5000 year history of China.

Life of the characters

In 1919, Zhejiang provincial No.4 Middle School (now Ningbo middle school) graduated and was admitted to the history and Geography Department of Nanjing Normal University. At that time, Nangao was famous and recognized as the first university in the south. It had many famous teachers, including Liu Boming, Liu Yizheng and Zhu Kezhen. When he graduated in 1923, it happened that Nangao changed its name to Dongda. Out of love for Nangao, he insisted on receiving the last Graduate Diploma of Nanjing Normal University. After graduation, he worked in Shanghai Commercial Press, during which he edited senior high school Chinese geography, together with senior high school physics textbook edited by Dai Yungui and senior high school English textbook edited by Lin Yutang, which constituted the three national textbooks at that time, and played a very good role in promoting middle school education. In 1927, he taught in the Department of geography of National Central University (renamed Nanjing University in 1949), and once taught Chinese geography. In 1935, he was elected as a member of the first Central Council of Academia Sinica. He was the youngest elected member who had never studied abroad. In 1936, he was employed as a professor and director of the Department of history and geography of Zhejiang University, director of the Institute of history and geography, and later as the dean of literature. In 1941, he was elected as one of the first professors appointed by the Ministry of education. He was the director general of Chinese geographical society. In 1943, he was invited by the State Department to give lectures at Harvard University. He came to Taiwan in 1949 and served as the director of the secretary group of the president's office of the Kuomintang, the Minister of propaganda of the Kuomintang Central Committee, the Minister of education of the Kuomintang Central Committee, the commentator and chairman of the presidium of the Kuomintang Central Committee, and the senior minister of the presidential office. founded the China Press and publication Corporation and the Chinese Culture Publishing Commission in Taiwan, initiated the establishment of academic quarterly and other academic journals, as well as the "Chinese history society" and other organizations. It has made great contributions to the cultural and educational undertakings in Taiwan. He died in Taipei on August 26, 1985.

Academic thought

Mr. Zhang Qiyun is deeply attached to Chinese culture. In addition to his book the 5000 year history of China, he also founded the Chinese Culture Publishing Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of culture, and published the Chinese series and the Chinese Studies monthly, forming a center for the study of Chinese culture. He said that he had done nothing more than five things in his academic career: first, the national spirit to carry forward the spirit of the Chinese nation; second, national history to explore the origin of Chinese culture; third, national territory to study China's position in the world; fourth, national strength to balance the relationship between economic construction and the people's livelihood; fifth, national defense to arouse patriotism and national justice and cultivate new forces. As a scholar, Zhang Qiyun is the founder of Chinese modern human geography and the originator of historical geography. His achievements in physical geography are also highly praised by the international authoritative journal Science. In the field of local chronicles, Zunyi new chronicle, edited by him, plays an important role in local chronicles, among which, it is the first time for Chinese to carry out land use investigation and research. He is also the first scholar in China to study modern national strategy. During his tenure as "Minister of education" in Taiwan, Zhang Qiyun promoted the resumption of many universities and the establishment of new schools, initiated doctoral degree education, and focused on basic compulsory education in primary and secondary schools, basically laying the foundation of Taiwan's education pattern. Mr. Zhang Qiyun is an important leader of the Chinese cultural revival movement and the backbone of the Confucian revival movement. He has a long time and far-reaching influence on Chinese culture, which is very impressive. In his early years, he was an important member of the school of history and geography and the school of Xueheng in Nangao. Later, he became a soul of Guofeng society in the era of CUHK. Later, he founded thought and times in Zhejiang University, bringing together Zhang Yinlin, Xie Youwei, Guo binbi, Xiong Shili, Qian Mu, Chen Kang, He Lin, Feng Youlan and other scholars. The world commented that Zhejiang University had the spirit of revitalizing Heng and reviving humanism at that time Potential. In Taiwan, in addition to writing the 5000 year history of China, he also founded the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Culture University (China Culture University), where he taught Qian Mu, Yang Jialuo, Li Dongfang, Liang Jiabin, Jiang Fucong, Chen Lifu, Gao Ming, Song Xi, Zeng Xubai, Xie Ranzhi and other scholars in literature and history, and set up the Chinese Culture Publishing commission to publish Chinese series and Chinese Studies monthly It has become the center of studying Chinese culture. Zhang Qiyun said that all his life he studied was nothing more than five things: first, the national spirit to carry forward the spirit of the Chinese nation; second, the national history to explore the origin of Chinese culture; third, the territory to study China's status in the world; fourth, the national strength to balance the relationship between economic construction and the people's livelihood; fifth, national defense to arouse patriotism and national justice and cultivate new forces.

Personal point of view

Zhang Qiyun advocated Chinese studies. He believes that the so-called Sinology in the West should be Sinology, not Sinology. Western scholars exclude Tibetan studies and Manchu studies from Sinology, which is suspected of undermining China's reunification. Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan and Han nationalities have the most close relationship in politics, economy, culture and geography. These studies also constitute the Sinology. Sinology studies not only Sinology, but also Tibetan, Manchu and Mongolian studies. At the beginning of 1949, the KMT's rule in the mainland was facing a complete collapse. What was the future of the KMT? Chiang Kai Shek stayed up all night. Until one day, Zhang Qiyun said to him: "the best policy is to retreat to Taiwan!" As soon as Chiang Kai Shek was shocked, he immediately asked him to enter the secret room to talk in detail. Zhang Qiyun believes that the division of the world by the natural danger of the Yangtze River is just the wishful thinking of the Kuomintang, and the overwhelming Communist Party will never agree with it. It is also unrealistic to retreat to the southwest and Hainan. Only Taiwan can become the last refuge of the Kuomintang. Zhang Qiyun's unusual theory of "withdrawing from the East" deeply moved him. Zhang Qiyun firmly believed that withdrawing from Sichuan to the West was not appropriate, and elaborated on the advantages of withdrawing from Taiwan to the East: the broad sea and high waves in the Taiwan Strait could temporarily prevent the Communist army from pursuing victory. Secondly, Taiwan has incomparable advantages over other parts of the mainland: first, Taiwan is rich in products, and its agricultural products can basically meet the needs of the military and the people. 2、 Taiwan's transportation is convenient and its industry has the foundation left by the Japanese occupation. If Taiwan is good at management, its economy is expected to take off. 3、 Taiwan island has a strait separated from the mainland, which is easy to defend. Moreover, Taiwan's strategic position is extremely important, and the United States will not abandon it. If it is aided by the United States, Taiwan's defense will be safe. 4、 Taiwan residents have lived under Japanese colonial rule for half a century. After returning to the motherland, they have a sense of return to the Kuomintang regime, which can be used to stabilize social order. 5、 Taiwan island has been separated from the mainland for a long time, and there are few organizations and personnel activities of the Communist Party of China. In the future, even if there is a little social unrest, Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, and it is very easy to suppress unstable factors in order to stabilize society.

Master and apprentice

In his long-term educational career, Zhu Kezhen has cultivated a number of young talents in geography and meteorology, including Zhang Qiyun and Sha Xuejun, both of whom went to Taiwan after 1949. In 1966, the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East established the "Joint Committee on exploration of mineral resources in the Asian Offshore Areas". After a long-term investigation and research, the Association published a research report in 1968, saying that there may be rich oil resources in the marginal areas of continental reefs between the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Japan, the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. The news shocked Japan, which immediately took action to seize the Diaoyu Islands. Japan's action has aroused the vigilance of Chinese people of insight. On November 11, 1969, Zhu Kezhen wrote to Premier Zhou Enlai of the State Council: "although we are busy developing oil in the mainland and have no time to care about marine resources, we have to think about the long term." Proposal: "it seems that at this time we should make a message, stating that the oil field exploitation right in the Diaoyu Islands area should belong to me, thinking that it is necessary to formally protest as the Ministry of foreign affairs in the future." in September 1970, Japan issued "the claim of sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands and the development of continental Reef Resources", falsely claiming that "the waters off the Diaoyu Islands belong to Japan". In 1972, Zhang Qiyun prefaced the book "China · Ryukyu · Diaoyutai" by historian Yang Zhongkui, quoting a historical allusion: during the northern expedition of the National Revolutionary Army in 1928, the Japanese aggressors made the Jinan massacre. In his speech in Osaka, Japanese politician Yoshiro Hara pointed out that "the foreign policy of the new era lies in economic cooperation and prosperity, not in the occupation and expansion of land.". However, the Japanese young soldiers went their own way and created the "September 18th Incident" in 1931. When some Japanese people celebrated, the currency Yuan said, "Japan swallowed a bomb.". Zhang Qiyun takes this opportunity to point out that "the world has changed, and he Sheng is filled with emotion. He warned that the resurgence of Japanese militarism and the theft of Diaoyu Islands, China's inherent territory, are tantamount to "Japan swallowing another bomb" and will once again harm the Japanese people. Zhang Qiyun and his mentor Zhu Kezhen chose different political paths, but they wrote books and articles on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to defend the country's territorial sovereignty. With the efforts of Zhu Kezhen and others, in October 1972, the newly published Atlas of the people's Republic of China clearly defined the Diaoyu Islands sea area

Chinese PinYin : Zhang Qi Yun